Divers recovered a body from Lake Padden Saturday afternoon, one day after a canoe tipped over and one of its two occupants disappeared.

The dead man is believed to be Clay Weden, 28, Bellingham police reported. His boating companion, Cole B. Smith, 28, was rescued shortly after the accident and was taken to a hospital for treatment for exposure.

Police went to the lake early Friday afternoon after receiving a cellphone call reporting that a canoe had capsized and its occupants were in the water calling for help. A police officer and an off-duty Bellingham firefighter tried to rescue the men using the firefighter’s two stand-up paddle boats.

They rescued Smith but could not find Weden. A search of the lake, shoreline and nearby trails by two fire departments and other agencies was called off Friday night because of darkness.

Divers from the Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan County rescue teams found the body Saturday.

Approximately 20-30 people die in boating accidents every year in Washington State.

Contact our Washington Boat Accident Lawyers if you or a loved one has been injured in a Maritime Accident in Lynnwood.

Source